Recovering from Football Injuries

Tom Gately (27-year-old animator at Walt Disney Studios)

After suffering serious lower-back injuries while playing football in college, I became depressed, medicated myself with junk food, and developed a pot belly. Surgery, which involved fusing three of my lumbar vertebrae, failed to help my back problem, and afterward I was weak and fatigued for more than a year. I desperately wanted to find my old self.

Just before I was scheduled to have another surgery, my girlfriend suggested that I consult with her coaches, Aniela and Jerzy, who had a lot of success with healing back problems. After they evaluated me, they put me on a gradual weight-training program geared toward my specific needs. Immediately, the program became an essential part of my life, and after just six months, I saw incredible improvements in my weight, strength, energy, and attitude.

The most important part of the program, I think, was that it was a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey for me. Aniela and Jerzy listened to me and guided and encouraged me to change. I’m actually a different person now. My back feels great, I’m down to my college weight and I never had to have that dreaded second surgery.